Antique Silkwork Embroidery of Saint Teresa of Ávila

Late 17thC, circa 1680. 9.2ins high, 8.1ins wide, 1.2ins deep. An Italian Baroque devotional silkwork depicting The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa of Ávila, dating to the late 17th century.

The embroidery is very finely worked in silks, metal threads and red stones on a silk ground.

The central oval depicts the Spanish Carmelite nun and mystic Saint Teresa (1515–1582) in a moment of divine ecstasy, attended by angels and heavenly figures.

The composition is closely related to a rare engraving by Antonius Wierix II (c.1555–1604), in which the Christ Child directs an arrow of divine love towards the saint's heart. Surrounded by finely worked flowers.

Framed in an antique giltwood frame with boldly carved spiral ornament.

Reference: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, attributed to Antonius Wierix II, accession no. 51.501.6213. The engraving provides a close compositional parallel to the embroidered central scene.

 

CONDITION: Good. A few tiny holes.

Frame with some wear, but structurally sound and ready to hang.

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